Electronic trading involves electronically matching orders to buy and sell a tradable object. These orders may be referred to as trade orders. During the electronic trading process, an electronic exchange generally performs the order matching, such that quantity of one or more trade orders is matched with quantity of one or more contra-side trade orders. For instance, a sell order is contra-side to a buy order with the same price. Similarly, a buy order is contra-side to a sell order with the same price. Unmatched quantity of trade orders is held in the exchange order book until quantity of a trade order is matched or removed from the order book. In addition to matching trade orders, the electronic exchange is typically adapted to provide market data and trade confirmation data to subscribing trading devices.
Once the data is received by a subscribing trading device, a trading platform or trading tool in the trading device may be adapted to output the data to a display screen and allow a user (e.g., a trader) to interact with the displayed data. A trading platform may allow a user to view and process the data and place one or more trade orders. During the process of placing a trade order with the electronic exchange, a user generally provides one or more order entry parameters to the electronic exchange. The electronic exchange receives the order entry parameters and places a trade order into the exchange order book. Sometimes, an algorithmic trading platform in the trading device is used to decide on aspects of the trade order, such as the timing, price, or quantity of the order, or is used to initiate the order without (or with very little) human intervention. Unlike the example directly above, data from the electronic exchange may not always get displayed to the user when an algorithmic trading platform is employed.
It is desirable to improve one, some, or all of the components in the electronic trading system.